Ralph Vaughan Williams is part of a great tradition of British composers who transcribed melodies from the vast oral tradition of folk music, and then incorporated these tunes into their classical works. Written in 1913, ten years before his Folk Song Suite for band, Five English Folk Songs is a staple of the choral repertoire, now in a new transcription for band that includes all five movements: "The Dark Eyed Sailor," "The Spring Time of the Year," "Just as the Tide was Flowing," "The Lover's Ghost" and "Wassail Song." Colorful scoring allows the band to shine in tutti and chamber textures, and generous cross-cueing provides options for soloists.
